Lariana
Kingdom of Lariana | |
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 Flag
 Arms of Lariana
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Motto: Lex Dei Vitae Lampas ("The law of God is the lamp of life") | |
 Location of Lariana in Urlazio | |
| Capital and largest city | Lariana |
| Religion | Catholic Church |
| Demonym(s) | Larianan |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy in real union with Urcea |
• King | Riordan I |
| Legislature | General Curia |
| Formation | |
• Canetian cessions | 1782 |
• Constitution granted | 1870 |
| Area | |
• | 101,980 km2 (39,370 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2025 census | 34,902,694 |
| Currency | Taler (₮) |
| Driving side | right |
| Internet TLD | .urc.la |
The Kingdom of Lariana, officially the Kingdom of Urlazio is a kingdom in Urlazio under a real union with Urcea. The Kingdom was established at the conclusion of the Veltorine War of Independence in 1782. In the peace negotiations at the end of the war, Urcea came into possession of Caphirian territories it occupied in Urlazio on the basis of uti possidetis. The territories were reorganized as a crownland of Urcea and were envisioned to be governed similar to other crownlands, but the relative distance from Urceopolis and other factors led to its establishment as a distinct entity from Urcea.
Lariana's cultural identity long predates its establishment as a political entity, and Larianans point to the Latin Kingdom as its origin. The majority of people of Lariana can trace their ancestry to the non-Adonerii Latins and other Urlazic peoples of Urlazio's antiquity. As Caphiria expanded, successive waves of migration eastward in the face of increasing colonization changed the cultural complexion of eastern Urlazio, as non-Adonerii descended Urlazics became the majority population.
During the Occidental Cold War and large-scale presence of the Urcean military, Lariana developed a thriving service economy surrounding the bases and urban centers of the Kingdom. Since the end of the Cold War in 1984, the economy has been undergoing rapid changes and partial decline as part of the gradual ending of hostilities between Urcea and Caphiria. As Lariana has been partly demilitarized as of the Assumption Accords, the economy has shifted more towards global trade by the merit of Lariana's geographic position. As part of the Accords, free trade with the Urlazian provinces of Caphiria has begun which has strengthened the changing economy.
Nomenclature
Upon its establishment, the territories taken from Caphiria by Urcea in the Veltorine War of Independence were created as a new crownland, the Kingdom of Urlazio, with a supposed historical antecedent in the Latin Kingdom. As the name would suggest, initial documents envisioned this crownland as eventually incorporating all of the island, and its establishment allowed the Apostolic King of Urcea to claim rulership of the island - and its people - in pretense. These ambitions were quickly abandoned as a result of the Second Caroline War, and the territory of the Kingdom never expanded much beyond its 21st century borders. The Kingdom became increasingly associated with its capital city, Lariana, and in international usage, pressure from the governments of Caphiria and Cartadania led many countries and their citizens to use the term "Kingdom of Lariana" instead. By the dawn of the 20th century, this usage entered increasingly common use in Urcea as well. The public within Lariana also embraced the term as a distinguishing mark, giving themselves a national identity apart from the rest of Urlazio. By the mid-20th century, the "Kingdom of Urlazio" left official use altogether as Urcea sought to avoid offending Cartadania. As of the 21st century "Kingdom of Lariana" is used by the public as well as by public officials, while documents usually refer to the realm as the "Kingdom in Urlazio". Despite this shift, the official name is still occasionally referenced in administrative documents, and the Apostolic King's titles still include it.
Geography
Lariana occupies the eastern portion of the island of Urlazio, comprising about a quarter to a third of the island. Definitionally, it meets the parameters of a peninsula, being surrounded to the west by Caphiria by land and the Odoneru Ocean, Sea of Urlazio, and Sea of Canete to the north, south, and east respectively. Talionia is located at the Equator, though most of the country is located north of it. Due to this position, all but the northern and eastern coastal plain of the country is equatorial in climate. Like the rest of Urlazio, the interior of Lariana is or was dense jungle.
There are two major distinguishing geographical features within Lariana. The Talion River, which flows north to south, forms the Kingdom's western border with one exception, the Ecinis Peninsula. The peninsula sits east of the mouth of the Talion and was ceded to Caphiria in the Assumption Accords; accordingly, Lariana has a small southern land border running along a line of latitude rather than a natural feature. The interior of the country is divided in two by the Setthian Shield, a jagged mountain range that rises sharply and mirrors the eastern coast of the country, running in a line approximately due southwest. The Setthian Shield divides the primarily jungle interior of the country from the more densely populated coastal plain.
History
Early History
Much of what consists of modern day Lariana was densely populated coastal cities which existed as part of Adonerii League with peripheral agricultural lands inhabited by communities of native Urlazic speakers. Consequently, most of the local Urlazic tribes fell under Adonerii influence and began to speak the Latinic language. As with much of the island, Lariana as a whole was conquered by the Latin Kingdom in approximately 570 BC, ending the Adonerii league and beginning a lengthy period of united Urlazian governance. This period saw the gradual empowerment of the inland Urlazic tribes and peoples, who formed the governing class of the new Kingdom along with the non-Adonerii Latins. The Latin Kingdom briefly contended with Great Levantia over dominance of the Sea of Canete beginning in the 250s AD and then entered a period of rapid decline.
Like Great Levantia, the Latin Kingdom came under increasing pressure from migrating Goths beginning in the late 3rd century. In 315, the Goths began their invasion of Urlazio, a process largely completed by 324. The Goths established the Gothic Urlazian Kingdom that year, centered in Lariana, beginning that city's history as a major political and administrative center. The rump Latin Kingdom was subsequently incorporated into Caphiria in 337, ending the rule of the non-Adonerii Urlazic peoples over the island. The invasions and raids of the Goths largely depopulated the major cities of eastern Urlazio. As the Adonerii-descended cities of eastern third of Urlazio were gradually depopulated, the non-Adonerii Latins and non-Latin Urlazics became a majority in the region, taking over old commercial enterprises and agricultural estates. The new native population was treated moderately by the Goths in contrast to their anti-Caphiric Latin policy.
As Caphiria began to closely integrate the portions of Urlazio it inherited from the Latin Kingdom, pressure was placed on the non-Adonerii Latins and Urlazics from the central third of Urlazio. These peoples began to migrate east beginning in the 5th century. Several reasons have been provided by historians for this migration, but the primary rationale relates to the expansion of settler colonies from Venceia in the central part of the island, as well as a general displacement of the local populace by mainland Caphirians. This eastern migration strengthened the cultural identity of eastern Urlazio such that contemporary Caphirian travelers found the language and culture there to be altogether alien. The development of a distinct East Urlazic dialect of Latin began in the 7th and 8th centuries as the language was written for the first time.
The Gothic Kingdom was divided in the 7th century and modern Lariana became part of Leofric's Kingdom. This Kingdom began a gradual decline and Urlazio was largely incorporated into the Caphiric Second Imperium by the 10th century. During this period, what would become Lariana was heavily subject to Muslim raids by forces loyal to the Oduniyyad Caliphate. Despite the emergent cultural differences, eastern Urlazio remained a relatively pacified part of the Second Imperium. Towards the end of the Second Imperium, local revolts became more commonplace as the government in Venceia attempted to make manpower and financial taxation more efficient. With the collapse of the Second Imperium in 1172 saw eastern Urlazio divided into several city-states as well as a limited presence by the Venceian Republic. These gradually evolved into mercantile republics by the 13th century, similar to and in competition with the city-states of Crotona of the period. The Urlazian city-states coexisted alongside the Venceian Republic, who often provided subsidies and titles to prominent merchant families of the island's city-states in an effort to establish nominal authority, a method which enhanced the prestige and legitimacy of the new city-states.
Third Imperium
As the Third Imperium was established in the late 13th century, the city-states of eastern Urlazio gradually came under the economic and cultural sway of the reemerged Caphiric state. The Imperium fostered an overlord-type relationship with these cities through around 1330, carefully managing diplomatic and trade relations with them in order to avoid a costly military campaign on Urlazio. By 1350, Caphiria's strong position on Sarpedon allowed it to more aggressively leverage the city-states of eastern Urlazio, reaching formal tributary agreements. By 1370, Caphiria had de facto reestablished territorial control over eastern Urlazio, and the Imperial Legion began to operate freely in the area around that time, but prominent local mercantile families remained powerful within the client cities themselves. This arrangement began to fray by 1400, as local families chafed at the gradual loss of privileges as well as new state controls on their international associations. The city of Lariana revolted against Caphiric control in early 1401 and was crushed in 1402, with the city being directly annexed by the Imperium. From then on, it served as a central point of administration of the client trade cities and the main base of operations for Imperial military and administration. From then on, the cities were gradually integrated directly into Imperial control. The tributary city system continued to exist until around 1501, when Cavosia - the last tributary city - was annexed into the Imperium.
The 1500s were a time of general prosperity throughout Urlazio and eastern Urlazio specifically. The religious strife in Levantia caused by the rise of Protestantism meant that many prominent, wealthy Catholic families and individuals - as well as gifted artists - fled the advance of Protestantism in their cities, duchies, and polities, and Urlazio was a natural safe harbor. The influx of wealth combined with Urlazio's safe position relative to Caphiria's enemies led to a major economic boom in eastern Urlazio specifically. The new arrivals rejuvenated arts and culture in eastern Urlazio, and during this time the city of Lariana was transformed from a middling mercantile city to one of the great cities of the Imperium, with public buildings and churches built in the latest style. As the religious tension in Levantia eased by 1570, the influx of wealth into the island slowed and some families began to move back, but the area remained a bright spot in the Third Imperium.
The 1600s were a time of significant upheavel within Caphiria, culminating in the Great Schism of 1615 and its aftereffects. Most of the major social, economic, and political leaders of the city of Lariana and its environs took the oath of allegiance to the Imperator, though a majority of the peasantry and large number of burghers continued to hold allegiance to the Pope in secret. Due to the area's proximity to Levantia, priests were readily smuggled into the territory and could largely come and go as they pleased. Due to this situation, as well as Lariana's relative proximity to Venceia, enforcement of the schism was limited and inconsistent. Three major sweeps for Catholic priests occurred in 1630, 1656, and 1660. Besides these efforts, officials were regularly bribed by wealthy crypto-Catholics to look the other way. Subsequent attempts to establish religious peace in the Imperium after the Ash War meant that the schism went mostly unenforced during the 18th century.
Early Modern and Industrial Era
Though a culturally divergent part of Caphiria, eastern Urlazio remained firmly in Venceia's hold until the middle of the 18th century, when it was invaded by Urcea as part of its intervention during the Veltorine War of Independence. The city of Lariana was sacked by Caphirian forces in 1781 after being taken by the Urceans in 1780 and the province was largely pacified, but continued advanced of the Royal and Imperial Army in 1782 overcame Caphirian defenders in Lariana. As trade and aid filtered through the occupied territory's ports to the rebelling forces in Veltorina, control of the island ultimately proved essential to aiding the Veltorines secure their independence. At the end of the war, the territories occupied by the Royal and Imperial Army were ceded to Urcea, including and especially the city of Lariana. Controversially, it was not joined to the Holy Levantine Empire, but rather kept as a separate Kingdom in personal union with the Urcean Crown, a move which alienated the Collegial Electorate. Acquisition of the newly established "Kingdom of Urlazio" was a key part of Urcea's strategy to secure overall control of the Sea of Canete, and the so-called Canetian Cessions started the phenomenon of Levantine Creep among Caphirian intellectuals.
The Kingdom of Urlazio was governed and assumed to be, at its inception, another normal crownland of Urcea, similar to the Kingdom of Crotona. This status implied normal governance of the country by the apparatus of the Government of Urcea with the Apostolic King of Urcea nominally at its head as its King. However, several cultural and administrative changes that occurred over the course of the late 18th and 19th century separated Lariana from the other crownlands. The nobility of the Kingdom extracted many different concessions from the ailing Urcean crown during the Second Caroline War, including the exclusion of the Urcean Concilium Daoni from affairs of the realm. This established the local nobility and urban councils as governing the crownland in conjunction with the King. As a more symbolic milestone, the actual creation of a physical crown of Lariana in 1852 by Aedanicus VIII would lead the crownland to stand out further. Acts of the Concilium Daoni would confirm the status of Lariana as a separate entity from the rest of the Kingdom as part of an overall effort to prevent popular resistance to Urcean rule. This was also requested by the King, as the decision made the Kingdom of Lariana effectively under direct and total control of the Apostolic King, a move that Aedanicus argued was a military necessity in order to keep the area properly protected against Caphiria.
Lariana initially operated with some autonomous function. Local nobility and several military commands of the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea comprised the government of the Kingdom, though communal and county-based governance was viewed as the norm. As the 19th century continued, reforms to the Urcean government brought its periphery vassals into a tighter orbit of Urceopolis. In order to placate local concerns with the tightening grip, Aedanicus VIII issued a Constitution for the Kingdom of Urlazio in 1870, which remains in force. In 1889, Aedanicus died and the monarchy was overthrown by Gréagóir FitzRex in the Coup of All Saints, leading Prince Patrick of Halfway to flee to Lariana on 1 November. Upon his arrival, the officials of Lariana hailed him as their King (as Patrick II of Lariana) and recognized him as legitimate successor. In the next few months, the Life Guard arrived in the country along with many prominent members of House de Weluta, establishing a large and robust court of exile in Lariana. Patrick worked diligently with the constitutional government to not only build up the Kingdom's defenses but also improve administration so as to increase tax revenues and general economic cachet. His energetic administration and general Royal presence and dignity had the effect of further distinguishing Lariana from Urcea legally and politically. It also endeared the exiled monarch to Lariana, ensuring its nominal independence from Urcea would remain following his anticipated restoration. The regime of Gréagóir FitzRex tried and failed twice to land forces on Lariana to eject Patrick in 1891 and 1892, but were repulsed both times. Lariana was an important base of royalist support (in terms of both arms, materiel, and funds) for the Royalist cause in the '97 Rising. During the conflict and in part due to perceived disloyalty of its people, FitzRex promised to cede Lariana to Caphiria in exchange for its support during the Interregnum, bringing Urcea into the First Great War. The unfulfilled promise of a cession of Lariana to Caphiria was a major casus belli for the later Second Great War.
Second Great War and Today
During the Second Great War, Lariana was a primary battleground between the Levantia and Odoneru Treaty Association (LOTA) and Caphiria and its acquisition was the primary war goal of Caphiria. The early war period was largely inconclusive, but following the allied naval victory at the Battle of the Adonáire Strait Caphiria's ability to resupply Urlazio became significantly limited. The Royal and Imperial Army made significant gains against Caphiria, occupying most of the island along with Cartadanian offensives from the west.
Lariana was the site of the first nuclear weapon detonation in history, as Caphiria dropped a weapon on Cavosia, a major city and logistical hub that was occupied by Urcean forces but still within Caphirian nominal territory. The nuclear detonation precipitated peace talks which ended the war. Large parts of Urlazio were returned, but a major piece of territory - the Ecinis Peninsula - was ceded to Lariana at the end of the war, including the destroyed city of Cavosia and its environs. Ecinis's position adjacent to Estro and in the vicinity of Venceia made it a major strategic focus of both sides in what would become the Occidental Cold War. The ad-hoc military bases dotting Lariana were later rebuilt for permanent LOTA use during the Occidental Cold War, as the military and military families from Levantia and Cartadania became an important part of life in Lariana, and a cornerstone of the economy. As bases began to dot the countryside, agricultural developments gave way to a service-based economy aimed at accommodating the millions of soldiers stationed in Lariana throughout the Cold War.
Upon the signing of the Assumption Accords in 1984, cession of the Ecinis peninsula and demilitarization of the southern half of Lariana and eastern portions of Caphirian Urlazio meant an end to the more than eighty years of military presence in Lariana, leading to dramatic changes in the economy. Despite this, many investors have expressed interest in the potential of the rapidly changing economy. Caphirian investors and visitors have become commonplace in Lariana since the time the Accords were signed, and analysts have speculated that Lariana may once again become a primary port of entry into Sarpedon and crossroads of the Occident. As part of the Accords, a free-trade area was created between Lariana and the Caphirian provinces of Urlazio.
Politics
Lariana is a constitutional monarchy in real union with Urcea under the same shared sovereign, the Apostolic King of Urcea. Though Lariana is nominally an independent country with its own constitution and government, in many respects it is considered an peripheral extension of Urcea. The government has significant autonomy with regards to the Kingdom's domestic policies, including oversight of the economy and provision of public administration. The Kingdom's government is fully elective, giving the people of the Kingdom broad latitude over their own governance. However, the Kingdom does not have an independent foreign policy (with limited exception vis a vis Caphiria) and does not have its own military, instead being fully under the protection of the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea. Unlike the other real union partner, citizens of Lariana are automatically given Urcean citizenship. Many Larianans, as well as observers abroad, have characterized Lariana as occupying a position within Urcea as "too integrated to be a rectory but too independent to be a state."
From the time of the implementation of the Constitution in 1870 to the Second Great War, the primary political divides in the Kingdom were between pro-de Weluta Crown Liberal parties ("Unionist") and pro-independence liberal and socialist political parties ("Nationalist"). The independence movement within the Kingdom was divided between those who viewed Lariana as a standalone country and those who sought union with Veltorina. These divides were sufficient to allow the Unionists to maintain power. Since the Second Great War, nationalism has significantly been on the decline due to solidarity with the Urcean people, the atomic bombing of Cavosia, and greater integration with Urcea; accordingly, politics have realigned such that professed Unionist parties have dominated the political discourse ever since. The pre-war Union and Crown Party (UCP) eventually gained more than ninety percent of the seats in the Curiates Temporal in 1960 before splintering into several Unionist parties, most prominently the organicist Crown and State Party (CSP), which has won most elections since 1980. Since the Assumption Accords, there has been a significant interest in renewed ties with Caphiria and other nations in Sarpedon without a national independence component, a political point of view that has been increasingly embraced with the adoption of free trade and easy travel with the Caphirian province on Urlazio. In contrast, a growing minority of Unionists support the concept of annexation, integrating Lariana as a culturally distinctive state within Urcea rather than alongside it.
Government
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The Kingdom of Lariana is a constitutional monarchy employing an organic democratic Constitution similar to, but not the same as, the Government of Urcea. Lariana is bound to Urcea by its King, who is also the Apostolic King of Urcea. The executive authority within the Kingdom is wielded by the Governor-General of the Kingdom of Lariana, an official appointed by the Apostolic King of Urcea with the advice and consent of the Concilium Daoni of Urcea. This official is directly nominated by the King rather than by the binding advice of any officials in Urcea; by this method, Lariana's government retains a degree of independence from Urcea and is answerable - to an extent - to the King of Lariana alone. The Governor-General is typically a Larianan who has had political and administrative experience within the Government of Urcea, especially diplomatic experience. The Governor-Generals serve five year terms and by precedent are not reappointed by the King except during times of war. The Governor-General has the authority to, subject to the legislature, organize the government of the Kingdom, direct its ministers, veto legislation, and organize the Kingdom's armies. The Governor-General serves as Commander-in-Chief (rather than the Urcean title of Magister Militum) of the Kingdom's armed forces, though in practice the armed forces are typically used for local defense and emergency response due to the protection the nation receives from the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea. The Governor-General is considered the head of government of the Kingdom, and he nominates ministers to be approved by the General Curia; due to his non-partisan nature, he is bound by precedent to nominate members of the majority party in the legislature, although not always the members selected by the Majority Leader.
Legislative authority in Lariana is invested in the General Curia, a 155-member legislature based on 150 equal population districts elected nationwide, referred to as the Curiates Temporal and the designees of 5 Catholic bishops, referred to as the Curiates Spiritual. Curiates serve five year terms on the same schedule as elections for Urcea's Concilium Daoni, and its reapportionment system is extremely similar. The legislature is partisan, and the leader of the majority party of the General Curia holds the title of "Curiate-President of the Kingdom of Lariana". The Curiate-President is exclusively a legislative and partisan leader, serving as Majority Leader, and does not have significant authority over the ministry or its members. The Curiate-President chooses which legislation comes to the floor of the Curia and is responsible for choosing committee chairs within the Curia.
Foreign relations
Lariana's foreign relations are largely the same as Urcea's, and Lariana's presence abroad mostly takes the form of consulates in nations which have a specific Larianan interest. The only nation with which Lariana conducts a somewhat independent foreign policy with is its neighbor Caphiria, with whom it has a long relationship including both highs and lows. Much of the Kingdom's relationship with Caphiria is advised and overseen by the Urcean Department for Historic Continental Concerns, which ensures Urcea and its dependencies do not give offense to Caphiria within the context of Imperial Diplomacy.
Imperial Diplomacy and Caphiria
Lariana is subject to Imperial Diplomacy, the traditional relationships between Caphiria and its neighbors in Sarpedon. Lariana is considered to be within the "Imperial space", and accordingly is viewed by the Caphirians as a "federated polity". This status requires an act of nominal obescience known as Continental Obligations. The Obligations require the Governor-General to travel to Venceia to give a symbolic acknowledgement of the authority of the Imperator of Caphiria. Unlike every other state within the Imperial Diplomatic system, the Governor-General offers this "on behalf of the administrators and magistrates of the Kingdom of Lariana" rather than on behalf of the Kingdom or its King; this concession, approved in the Assumption Accords, avoided the hypothetical obligation of the Apostolic King of Urcea to acknowledge the Imperator as his superior in any way. The Obligations are largely viewed within Lariana as the "cost of doing business" with the Caphirians. Beyond these symbolic tokens of submission, Lariana and Caphiria enjoy strong bilateral relations with only partial Urcean oversight. Trade relations between Caphiria and Lariana are considered to be at an all time high in the present day.
Culture
Modern Larianan culture (referred to as Larianic) is largely homogenous in the modern day, having been formed from several different competing groups in antiquity and the medieval period. It is primarily descended from non-Adonerii Latins with some non-Latin indigenous Urlazic influence included. Adonerii-descended Latins - most prominently Caphirians - have also significantly influenced Larianan culture over time. Lariana's culture definitively emerged in the post-Adonerii period, and accordingly despite a shared genetic ancestry it has stark differences from the culture of Latin-speakers like the Caphirians and Latin-descendants such as the Urceans. Besides the Larianic majority, large ethnic and cultural minorities are also present in Lariana. Urceans, Caphirians, and Veltorines are present in the country in significant numbers.
Lariana's culture exists downstream of both the larger Urcean and Caphiric cultures, and in many aspects Larianan culture views itself more as fitting into both cultures rather than existing in its own right. Famously, Lariana is home to the film, television, and literary "filter" of Casina, where these industries adapt Urcean and Caphiric content for the other countries. On an everyday level, many Larianans exhibit an ecclectic mix of Urcean and Caphiric social mores. For example, a distinct social sense of dignitas is present within Larianan society; however, in the more democratic Urcean sense, dignitas is based almost exclusively on achievement and social capital rather than the estate of one's birth. In sports, Larianans tend to follow Urcean sports though Caphiric ones are growing in popularity. In politics, Larianans elect and eject elected officials with the frequency of Urceans and often with the same degree of rhetoric, but still respect incumbent officeholders with a similar degree of deference employed within Caphiria's cursus honorum. In cuisine, Larianans emulate the high-quality ingredients and simple dishes of Caphiric cuisine but adapted for the Urcean propensity towards hors d'oeuvres. In these and many other aspects, Larianans view themselves as culturally integrated with both countries, and that their identity sits in the middle of, rather than apart from, these cultures, and that "middle point" is a key part of Larianan identity. Scholars have noted that the Larianan culture is actually very distinct from both Urcea and Caphiria with respect that adaptivity and eagerness to adopt other practices are its fundamental attributes. In this view, rather than being a mere "blend" of its neighbors' culture, Lariana has a very strong and unique cultural tradition with the cosmetic appearances of its neighbors.
The Catholic Church is a critical part of Larianan society and culture, as is the case in the Urcean and Veltorine influences on the country. Though not as strongly resistant to the Great Schism of 1615 as the Veltorines, Larianans nonetheless held a century-and-a-half tradition of underground Catholicism, aided greatly by its close proximity to Levantia and easy availability of priests smuggled into the country. After it was conquered from Caphiria, the importance of the Catholic religion became a central focus of early state-building efforts, emphasizing that the country's Catholicity separated it from Caphiria. Accordingly, bishops received an outsized social presence within Lariana as major celebrities and social tastemakers, a position they still enjoy today. This phenomenon is similar to, but to a lesser extent, the bishopcentric society of New Veltorina.
Sports
Larianic culture enjoys many of the same sports as Urcean culture due to its long participation in the Urcean cultural sphere. Accordingly, baseball, gridiron football, and horse racing are extremely popular. Most people in Lariana root for professional teams or athletes in these sports in Urcea's professional leagues, such as the Continental Baseball Conference, and Lariana does not host any teams in these leagues. Smaller semi-professional leagues of baseball and football do exist in Lariana but only receive local popularity. In horse racing, Lariana does host several major track meets per year, and it is often viewed with a higher level of prestige and affinity in Lariana than the other sports due to the country's ability to participate. In baseball, the ten-team minor league of the Tarrin Thunder - the Lariana National League - is based entirely in Lariana, and is the most popular in-Kingdom spectator sport league beyond horse racing.
Some Sarpedonic sports also draw fans as a second-tier of professional sports in popular culture. Specifically, the popular Caphiric combat sports of Pugură and martial art of Tepiù pugna enjoy some popularity, particularly within cities and places where Caphirians live and work.
Demographics
The 2025 Kingdom Census counted a population of 34,902,694. Lariana's population is predominantly middle age, with the Kingdom having a lower natural population growth rate than Urcea with 3 live births per female in 2027 Lariana enjoys significant levels of immigration from both Urcea and Caphiria, ensuring robust overall population growth and relatively high numbers of educational attainment and health.
Lariana's linguistic demography is relatively diverse, with three languages being spoken on a regular basis depending on area and circumstance. The Larianic language - a language related to Latin and somewhat similar to the languages spoken in Rhotia and Lapody with many key differences - is the plurality everyday language of Larianan people, with 55.7% reporting using it as their primary language. Julian Ænglish is the second most common primary language and the most spoken language in Lariana overall, with 33.1% of Larianans reporting it as their primary language and 90.2% of Larianans overall reporting being fluid in Julian Ænglish. Caphiric Latin and Veltorine dialects make up the remaining 12% percent of primary languages spoken.
Use of language differs by application. In most commercial transactions and business settings, Julian Ænglish is used frequently and is also typically used as the main language of the workplace due to the country's economic ties with Urcea. Larianan government typically issues public statements in both Larianic and Julian Ænglish, and legislation is adopted primarily in Larianic. Caphiric Latin is often used in diplomacy, as is the expectation of countries within the Continental Diplomatic Arrangement Organization.
Catholics are the vast majority of the Larianan population. Small minorities of Assemblist Protestants and a various mix of other religions exist in parts of the country, particularly in and around the city of Lariana.
Economy
Lariana is generally described as having a social market economy with high levels of development. The Larianan economy is deeply integrated within the economy of Urcea; it shares the same currency, has no trade restrictions or customs barriers of any kind, and to some extent is subject to the same regulations and consumer protections as Urcea, though to a lesser degree. Lariana is also increasingly becoming integrated with Caphiria's various Urlazio provinces, and has become a crucial transshipment and general point of exchange between Levantia and Sarpedon's largest economies. Accordingly, Lariana is highly urbanized; with that urbanization, Lariana has become the home of many major corporations, either through corporate headquarters or major regional offices. In addition to urban corporate centers - and their related industries such as transportation and the amenity-based service sector - Lariana benefits significantly from the tourism sector. It is a popular destination for Caphirians and Urlazic Cartadanians to visit and experience parts of Urcean culture without needing to travel abroad. The remnants of the Ancient Adonerii civilization draw large numbers of Urcean and international tourists, especially to well-preserved Arxi quaint small towns. Lariana has few exports. In antiquity, the island was known to produce copper, but most prominent mines were exhausted by the late medieval period.
Lariana has a sizable motion picture, television, and literary publishing industry that has grown since 1984. In many respects, Lariana functions as a cultural filter through which content is exchanged between Urcea and Caphiria. Lariana's cultural productions are typically adaptations of one country's material - be it movies, shows, games, or books - for the tastes of the audience of the other country; for example, the Urcean television series Final Great War was adapted into a two-part movie series for Caphiric audiences called "After the Consequences" with the setting changed to Sarpedon and certain themes adapted for Caphiric audience expectations and tastes. The firms related to these products have greatly thrived since the end of the Occidental Cold War. These industries, based in the city of Casina, attract thousands of actors, producers, and production staff (as well as publishers and writers) from both Urcea and Caphiria every year, and they produce billions of dollars of economic benefits for Lariana. Casina is generally viewed to be a place where young up-and-coming actors travel to break into film before going to their respective country's more established film industry, or where declining actors past their prime have a place to comfortably continue their career. Casina has generally managed to break expectations that globalization would render it obsolete due to unifying Occidental audience tastes; in many cases, Casina plays a key role in allowing some content to break through the Urcean and Caphiric Censorship systems, accounting for its continued relevance.
Military
The Kingdom of Lariana does not have its own military; the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea provides for the defense of the Kingdom. Due to Larianan citizens automatically being given Urcean citizenship, participation of Larianan nationals in the Urcean armed forces is extremely common; as of 2030, 174,514 Larianans are currently serving in the Urcean armed forces. Due to the large number of Larianan nationals in the military and especially the within the Royal and Imperial Army, several dozen cohorts and regiments of Larianan units exist. These units, exclusively made up of Larianan personnel, are authorized to carry and fly the flag of the Kingdom of Lariana in its unit colors and employ the various symbols and colors of the Kingdom in its unit symbols. Larianan nationals are given the choice of opting-in to participation in these units as opposed to normal R&IA units, and as of 2030 approximately half of Larianan nationals in the Army are in a Larianan unit.
The Kingdom briefly had its own Army, the Urlazian Royal Army (URA) which was founded in the 1850s as part of efforts to build Larianan identity and improve relations between the Kingdom and Urceopolis. At its peak in 1860, it was a corps-sized formation of about 35,000 men. A small portion of the URA was deployed to Crona to fight in the Schoharie War in 1881. Urcean commanders had long sought to integrate the small force into the Royal Army. Due to the rise of the influence of the military over the Urcean state, increasing pressure was put on the Kingdom to dissolve the URA. The URA was finally dissolved in 1890 in the first year of the Crown Regency.